Caught in the Moment
by annablossom4703
Summary: Sequel to "Shadows of the Past." A year after Desara Solo failed her Jedi Trails, the galaxy has still not found a way to unite itself. A second Galactic Treaty drafting has been proposed, making the galaxy even more dangerous for a young Jedi with a missing family.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, Butterflies! I'm back at long last with the sequel to my story "Shadows of the Past." Although it's been over a year since I last worked on this series, only about year has passed in the story, meaning Desara is now almost 16 years old.

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.

* * *

The gurney comes rushing into the hospital, droids receiving and communicating directions to each other. The gurney is taken to a trauma bay, and medical droids work themselves to the wire trying to help the patient. But nothing is working. Soon organic doctors are on the case. The patient's vitals are dropping rapidly, but the doctors cannot figure out why; everything should be normal except the obvious wounds and burns. No one knows who she is, but they assume that whatever caused her injuries has also made her lose the will to live.

Headmaster Luke Skywalker bursts into the trauma bay, having apparently felt a shift in the Force. He takes one look at the patient and weeps invisible tears; she was innocent. He calls the doctors over and asks that the patient be transferred to the trauma center in the Jedi Temple, explaining the patient's wounds are lightsaber wounds and that he fears something far worse has happened to her. At first the doctors and medical droids alike refuse the transfer due to the patient's unstable condition, but Luke, with a little help from the Force to stabilize the patient, convinces them. The droids then prep the patient as best as they can, for transfer.

At the Jedi Temple, Luke gathers all the Healers in the medical ward and briefs them on the situation before telling them to start working immediately. A Healer asks if Luke wants a Midichlorian count, to which Luke replies with an obvious yes. They still do not know her identity. When the count comes back, it distresses Luke, and he becomes more determined than ever to save the patient; the number of Midichlorians that are still alive is at 20 percent and plummeting. Whatever happened to this person, it will be solely by the Force's intervention that she lives.

"Headmaster, vitals are stabilizing."

"Headmaster, remaining Midichlorian count zero percent."

"Headmaster, she's going to make it."

With the last sentence, Luke sighs an audible sigh of relief and tells the Healers to work on the patient's lightsaber wounds while he goes to search for her identity. On his way out, he passes Assistant Headmaster of Behavior and Placement Cyril Azam. Master Azam bows to Luke and asks if he has seen his padawan. Luke, having picked up the habit from a former assistant headmaster many years ago, bites the inside of his cheek. Quietly, he invites Master Azam to come with him.

In an office out of the hub-bub of the Temple halls, Luke tells Master Azam the sad news. Not surprisingly, Master Azam feels little disappointment; he and his padawan were never close. Then Master Azam explains to Luke that he wishes to place his padawan in a different sect of the Jedi Order.

"She's not one of us," Master Cyril explains coldly. "Nor will she ever be."

The patient wakes up and is confused. She turns restless, so the Healers have no choice but to sedate her if they wish to continue addressing her wounds. Only moments after they sedate her, Luke and Master Azam enter the medical ward. Luke then turns to the head Healer and asks that he do something experimental and borderline unethical. Without question, the head Healer places electrodes on the patient's head and temples and begins the process, and the two masters step out. As they walk out, Luke looks back at the patient lying still on the gurney. Once in the hallway, Luke meets Master Azam's eyes.

"I just hope it's the right decision," he mutters under his breath.

When the patient wakes up again, she has restraints on but is much calmer. But she feels disoriented, which causes her great alarm. About that time, a Twi'lek Healer approaches her bedside.

"Miss Tade, you're awake."

"I appear to be. Where am I?"

"You're in the medical ward of the Jedi Temple. You were badly injured in a lightsaber attack." The patient gives the Healer a confused look.

"A lightsaber attack? I don't even own a lightsaber." Back in the secluded office, Master Azam smiles, but Luke hardly pays attention. Something is bothering him and eating him from the inside.

"You were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and someone with a lightsaber attacked a group of civilians, including you. Everyone else was fine, as will you, Miss Tade, I assure you." The patient nods, but she is really wondering if she will be able to go back to work soon. Someone has to keep the droids functioning, the coms working, and the Archives updated. As if she read her mind, the Healer assures the patient that she can return to work in a few days. The patient then sighs, both happy and relieved. The Healer steps out after that, although the patient does not notice.

The computer screen with information on it catches the patient's attention. She goes to ask the Healer about it, but finds that the Healer has already left. Instead, the patients crawls to the end of the bed to get a better view of the information screen. She does not understand what the information means, but she does, however, know that the name is not hers. The name on the screen says Desara Solo, but she is Moi'ra Tade. The patient, Moi'ra Tade, then looks to her right and sees a teenage human girl sleeping; Moi'ra concludes that the patient next to her must be Desara Solo. But what happened to her?

Her curiosity satisfied, Moi'ra crawls back to the head of the bed. She knows she has work to do, but she does not care right this moment, and the Healer even said it would be a few days before she could return to work anyway.

The curtain to Moi'ra's left is pulled aside, and Luke emerges from behind it.

"Headmaster Skywalker, I didn't know you were here."

"Yes, I am, Miss Tade. When I heard young Padawan Solo," he motions towards Desara, "was here, I came to see her." Moi'ra nods. Luke's visits to the medical ward have been more frequent of late, if she recalls the droids' records correctly.

"Headmaster, do you know what happened to me?" Luke shakes his head, but Moi'ra does not seem fazed by this.

"All I know is that you were injured in a lightsaber attack." Moi'ra nods, accepting the short answer. It was worth a shot asking. After checking on Desara, Luke leaves the medical ward.

Four days later, Moi'ra is released from the medical ward. She goes immediately to her quarters and looks around. The room is simple, with a bed, a dresser, a desk, a chair, and a door to the refresher. The refresher has only the necessities, a mirror, some hair dye hidden somewhere, and a pair of shears. Moi'ra glances in the mirror and notices her hair is an ugly brown-blonde color and is shoulder length. When did that happen? Instantly, she decides to dye it and cut it. Searching through her hidden stash of hair dye, Moi'ra finds a color she likes- pink. Once she has the color selected, Moi'ra cuts her hair into a pixie cut and dyes it. Once she job is complete, she cleans up and looks back into the mirror. Much better, she thinks to herself. Then she leaves her quarters and returns to her work.

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That's the end of Chapter 1! I know it's short, but I am super busy and just don't have the time to write incredibly long chapters anymore. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Thank you all so much for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, Butterflies! I'm back with Chapter 2!

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.

* * *

Moi'ra cries out as she shocks herself while attempting to repair a droid. It surprises her more than it hurts her, so she continues on with her work, remembering to be more careful. A few minutes later, the droid turns on, thanks Moi'ra, and leaves to go finish its work in the hangar. Moi'ra now alone, puts her droid repairing tools away and takes a breath before heading upstairs to the Archives to push an update. It has been almost a month since the lightsaber attack, and while she still has to wear some of the bandages, all that remain are scars from where the lightsaber struck her.

On her way up the the Archives, she passes several Jedi Masters, padawans, and younglings. She nods her head respectfully to each one, and she smiles when the padawans and younglings' faces light up. Although she has no idea what kind of training they endure, she knows that sometimes even just an encouraging nod can make their day. A few of the masters Moi'ra passes nod back to Moi'ra but most keep straight faces and do not acknowledge her. It does not bother Moi'ra, as her position as a mechanic and technician are not nearly as revered as their position of Jedi Master.

Meanwhile, in the Council of Headmasters' meeting room, Luke is talking with Master Azam. They speak in hushed tones, as if they are hiding their conversation from the ever-listening walls.

"Headmaster," Master Azam whispers, "have you heard the rumors?"

"Of the re-creation of the Galactic Treaty?" Master Azam nods. "Do they really think it will work this time? Do they not remember what happened last time?" Agitation clings to Luke's voice. He remembers all too well that it was the drafting of the original Galactic Treaty that forced his sister, future brother-in-law, and dear friend into hiding.

"Headmaster, it really is time that you let go of what happened."

"You weren't the one left with your infant niece in your arms, Cyril. My family's life was in danger, and I let them down. And that attack a month ago was no coincidence. Someone meant to harm Moi'ra."

"I understand, Headmaster, but what do you intend to do about it?"

" I'll talk to the ones leading it, try to convince them that the danger is not yet gone." A moment passes. "We should go, Cyril. The others will begin to look for us." The two masters leave the room, the door closing behind them, but the words they exchanged and the fears they left remain in the room.

Downstairs, Moi'ra finishes pushing an update on the Archives and then returns to her work area to run diagnostics on some of the broken computers. After she finishes those, she runs remote overall scans on all the computers and droids to ensure that everything is functioning properly. Everything is clear, so Moi'ra leaves them alone. She finishes repairing the broken computers in her work area; she has a droid return them to their proper places. Now that she is alone, Moi'ra pulls out a datapad from her desk drawer. _A Beginner's Guide to the Force_ , the title reads. Sighing, Moi'ra flips through the electronic pages. She would love to learn to use the Force someday, but for now her job is to repair the datapad.

Moi'ra, having finished repairing the datapad, makes her way upstairs to the Headmaster's office to return it. The datapad does not actually belong to him; sometimes people who need things repaired will give them to Luke to let the Jedi Temple's technicians repair.

When she arrives at the Headmaster's office, she finds it closed, something unusual for him. She knocks on the door, but she hears no reply. Deciding that she will just place the datapad on the Headmaster's desk, Moi'ra slides her ID card in the scanner, causing the door to open. Quietly and carefully, Moi'ra enters the Headmaster's office and gently sets the datapad down on his desk. She also notices a small blue and gold cube with a label on it: Desara Faith Solo, age 15. Shocked, Moi'ra steps back out of the Headmaster's office and into the empty corridor. No one sees Moi'ra as she leans against the wall, lost in rapid thoughts. It was holocron on the Headmaster's desk, but not just any holocron; it was a holocron used to store the memories of dead Jedi so that their teachings might not be lost. But how could Desara Solo have died? She appeared to be fine in the medical ward, but that does not explain why she died so young.

Down in her quarters, Moi'ra steps out of the refresher having just gotten ready to go to bed. She has had a long day at work, and with the rest of the Temple asleep, Moi'ra is now able to go to sleep. Tomorrow will be just as long, she knows, so she needs all the sleep she can get. When she is not repairing droids or datapads, she is also responsible to making sure the Jedi ships run properly, as does the rest of the technology. If even one part of the Temple's technological systems were to go down, it could spell disaster- communications would drop, security would be compromised, Jedi would be stranded wherever they were at that moment, and much more. It is long and hard work, but it is rewarding work that fills Moi'ra with a sense of purpose.

However, Moi'ra finds that she is unable to sleep. Her mind is far too busy to allow her to sleep, and the holocron she saw earlier weighs heavily on her heart. Fifteen-year-old girls do not just die, not as Jedi at least. So what happened to her that stole her life from her? Shaking the troubling thoughts from her mind, Moi'ra re-dresses herself and heads upstairs to the medical ward. Maybe the droid on duty can give her some sleeping meds. Force knows she needs them, especially with the sight of the memory holocron from earlier haunting her.

* * *

That's the end of Chapter 2! I know it's shorter than normal, but I'm incredibly busy right now, so finding time to write 3,000 word chapters is near impossible. Anyways, thank you all so much for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, Butterflies! I'm finally back with Chapter 3! I'm not going to lie, this is probably not going to be a very long story; I simply haven't got the time to write a longer story right now.

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.

* * *

The next morning, Luke makes his way down to Moi'ra's work space with datapads stacked in his hands. When he reaches her door, he uses the Force to swipe his ID card and open the door. Moi'ra greets the Headmaster by taking all the datapads in her arms and setting them down on the desk.

"What are they doing with these datapads, Headmaster? Practicing their Force jumps with them?"Moi'ra jokes with Luke, who simply shrugs. Seeing that the Headmaster is not in a talking mood, Moi'ra becomes more serious. "When do you need them, sir?"

"As soon as you can, Moi'ra." Then the Headmaster leaves without another word. Moi'ra looks at the stack of datapads on her desk- there are at least twelve- and shakes her head. She does not mind repairing them, but she wishes that people would take better care of the datapads because one day she will not be there to fix them with the same level of detail and skill as she has. Regardless, Moi'ra begins examining each datapad to see what about it is broken, and she soon has a list of repairs to do. It will take her all day if she does not break, but she knows that that is unrealistic, so the datapads should all be repaired by the next morning. Whatever she has repaired by the the end of the day she will return to the Headmaster.

About halfway through repairing the third datapad, a droid interrupts Moi'ra to tell her that the Headmaster has invited her to the formal storing of Desara Solo's memories. Moi'ra puts the datapad down on her desk, tells the droid to tell the Headmaster that she will be up shortly, and then disappears into her adjacent quarters to change out of her uniform. Then she goes upstairs to the Holocron Archives.

When she arrives, there a crowd of Jedi, padawans, and younglings with somber expressions on their faces. Not many of them knew Desara Solo, but all know the sorrow of losing one of their own. The Headmaster, along with Master Azam, is standing on a platform with the holocron sitting on a podium. Both the masters have rueful faces. A silence falls over the already quiet congregation when the Headmaster motions with his hands. Without a word, he picks up the holocron and, with a discreet wipe of his thumb over the label, uses the Force to lift the holocron into an empty slot. It fits snuggly, and the Archives light up before the shelf rotates to reveal an open slot again. After that, the crowd leaves, leaving Moi'ra looking at the shelf where Desara Solo's holocron now was. Desara's death does not make sense, and it never will. Teenagers should not die, yet there is the holocron with the memories of a teenager. Maybe the holocron could reveal what happened to Desara, but Moi'ra knows better than to do that.

"She wasn't a bad padawan," the Headmaster sighs, causing Moi'ra to turn around.

"I'm sorry, Headmaster." Luke smiles sadly and thanks Moi'ra for her sympathy. "Headmaster, if you don't mind, how did she die?"

"It was her Trials, and the course was set up to look like Alderaan, and we had a computer-generated Sith for her to fight. But she wasn't ready, and she fell off a cliff when she was cornered. She was so badly injured, but the Healers said she might recover, and even though her body recovered mostly, she never woke up, and we had to pull her." Luke swallows, visibly distraught as he recounts Desara's death. "She died just an hour after you were discharged. I thought the course was safe."

"I'm so sorry, Headmaster." Luke does not say anything for a minute as he gazes emptily at the the newly-added holocron.

"We should go, Moi'ra."

Back in her work space, Moi'ra continues repairing the datapads. The amount of work that needs to be done is endless, it seems, and Moi'ra is growing tired of it. She wishes a droid or something would break just so that she could have something to interrupt her work on the datapads. The odds of that happening, she knows, are very slim. She wishes she could just forget about her work, and about Desara Solo. It is just too odd the way Desara died for Moi'ra to be able to let go of it. The Trials, she knew, we supposed to be designed to prevent padawans from suffering serious injury, so how the Jedi and technician on duty missed the cliff in their check and failed to end the Trials when they saw Desara was not ready baffles Moi'ra. She will have to look further into Desara's Trials, Moi'ra decides, if she has any chance of understanding what happened to the aspiring Jedi.

At the end of the day, Moi'ra has repaired four of the datapads, so she makes her way to the Headmaster's office to return them. There are no Jedi masters, padawans, or younglings roaming the halls, as it is customary to meditate the afternoon and evening following the storing of a deceased Jedi's memories as a way to connect with the Force and the deceased Jedi. At the Headmaster's door, Moi'ra swipes her ID card as not to disturb the meditating Headmaster. However, to Moi'ra's surprise, she finds the Headmaster and Master Azam talking in the office rather than meditating. Moi'ra places the datapad on the desk and apologetically tries to duck out of the room, but the Headmaster stops her.

"Moi'ra, would you mind sending a droid up to Master Azam's quarters? He needs something repaired."

"Yes, sir. Is that all?" The Headmaster nods, so Moi'ra returns to her work area to dispatch a droid to Master Azam's quarters. Alone again, Moi'ra cleans up all her tools from the day and retreats into her quarters. She showers and makes her way to bed, but she finds that she cannot sleep. Nobody just overlooks a safety hazard, especially not during the Trials of a padawan. Whatever happened to Desara was no mistake.

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That's the end of Chapter 3! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I will have the next chapter up soon. Thank you all so much for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, Butterflies! I'm back with Chapter 4!

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.

* * *

Several days have passed since Moi'ra first decided to look further into Desara Solo's Trials and death. However, she has so far been unable to follow through with that decision due to the amount of work she has had to do. But she finally has a free minute today, so she begins looking into Desara's Trials. Or at least she tries to look into them, but Moi'ra finds that she has restricted access to the records of the Jedi Trials. She has access to only the names of the Jedi padawans who had their Trials since the Headmaster refounded the Order. Confused, Moi'ra tries for a while longer to bypass the restrictions, but to no avail. She eventually gives up, acknowledging that whoever restricted her access meant for her to stay out that information.

Moi'ra finishes repairing the last of today's batch of broken datapads, puts away her tools, and makes her way upstairs, being mindful to stay out of everyone's way; the first couple weeks after a Jedi's memories are stored are often raw and emotional ones. Moi'ra soon finds herself wondering why she does not simply start her own repair shop for all things technology instead of staying with the Jedi Order and having her services leased out. It would make more sense to do that, but something inside Moi'ra refuses to let her leave, as if she has been programmed to stay. She thinks back to how long she has been working for the Jedi, but she finds that it is as long as she can remember.

Swiping her key card in the lock outside the Headmaster's office, Moi'ra focuses on not dropping the datapads. When the door slides open, she walks in and sets the stack of datapads down on the desk. The Headmaster glances up at her and nods his thanks; his mind is clearly elsewhere.

"Headmaster, I'd like to ask you a question." The Headmaster looks back up at Moi'ra, his facial expression telling her to continue. "I'd like to look more into Desara Solo's Trials to see if I can figure out how the cliff was overlooked as a hazard."

"I'm guessing you've found you have restricted access then?" Moi'ra nods. "Moi'ra, I'm afraid that there's no need to. The Assistant Headmasters and I have already looked into Desara's Trials and have taken the measures to prevent it from happening again."

"But, Headmaster, if I could just -"

"No, Moi'ra. Your place is repairing our technology, not in meddling with Jedi affairs." Moi'ra takes a breath. The Headmaster is right, and she knows it.

"Is that all, Headmaster?" she asks tiredly. The Headmaster nods and sends Moi'ra on her way. Moi'ra wants to scream to someone and let her frustration out. All she does is work for the Jedi every day. Yet, She lives separate from them, she eats separate from them, she takes orders from them, she repairs their broken technology for them, and she stays faithful to them. So why is she forbidden from trying to save them? Why is she pushed to the far edges of the Order to be ostracized and excluded from the very people she serves? If not for her boundless loyalty to the Jedi Order, she would have left already.

Downstairs, in her quarters, Moi'ra finishes her work for that day as quickly but carefully as she can. She needs a break, to just get away from everything. Maybe some time off would do her some good anyways. It would give her the chance to get over Desara Solo's death. Besides, getting away from droids and Jedi as her only company will be good for her. But no, she cannot leave. She has work to do, and a lot of it. And if she were to leave and something break down, the other mechanics and technicians would take forever trying to fix it. It is simply better if she stays, Moi'ra decides. She can take leave later, but not now.

That night, Moi'ra cannot sleep. Her mind is moving too quickly for her to even think of sleeping. She understands that it is not her place to look into the Jedi Trials, but an overlooked safety hazard that cost the life of a padawan should be investigated, especially if the technician on duty overlooked the hazard. So why is she being pushed away from getting involved? Surely they would want her to be engineering new ways to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Unable to sleep and growing restless, Moi'ra dresses and leaves her quarters, going upstairs and outside the Temple. No Jedi are out, and droids keep watch over the security system surrounding the Temple. The Headmaster takes the safety of the Temple, the Order, and the Fallen's Place seriously, which is why he had ray shields installed so that they surround the perimeter and airspace of each location. However, the blue glow of the ray shield brings neither comfort nor relief to Moi'ra. Rather, it seals her in and reminds her that she bound to this place, to these people, for as long as Headmaster Skywalker is the Headmaster.

A security droid approaches Moi'ra from her left, but Moi'ra is not startled. All the droids know her.

"Miss Tade, what brings you out here?"

"I just can't sleep is all. I thought maybe a walk around the grounds would do me some good." The droid replies that late night walks are good for clearing one's mind. "Tell me, SD-7, do you ever feel like you're somehow stuck here, as if you can't leave because something inside you won't let you?" The droid, SD-7, tells Moi'ra that it has never felt that way; Moi'ra nods disappointedly. SD-7 then wishes Moi'ra a good night before continuing his rounds. Looking up at the stars- which are given a blue tint from the ray shield above the Temple- Moi'ra sighs and returns , she makes her way back downstairs to her quarters, a new loneliness and longing filling her.

People have complained that owning droids is like owning slaves, but what of the people who are not owned but can never be free? What are they?

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That's the end of Chapter 4! I hope you all enjoyed it, and let me know what you all think! Thank you all so much for reading, and I'll have the next chapter up soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, Butterflies! I'm back with Chapter 5!

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.

* * *

"Headmaster, I'd like to leave." The Headmaster gives Moi'ra a confused look.

"Leave? Moi'ra, you can't leave now. We need you here."

"Yes, Headmaster, I know, but I also know that I need to get away from here for a while." The Headmaster stands up from his desk and begins to walk around the office while Moi'ra stands patiently in one spot. A few moments pass, yet the Headmaster says nothing. "Headmaster?"

"Moi'ra, I can't let you go."

"I'm twenty-four. I don't need you babysitting me, Headmaster."

"Moi'ra, I said you're not leaving."

"Why not?"

"Why are you so adamant that you're leaving?"

"Why are you so adamant that I'm not, Headmaster?" Whereas the Headmaster's question had more anger to it, Moi'ra's has an innocence to it. The Headmaster runs his hand through his graying hair frustratedly.

"Because if I send you out, you'll die." Moi'ra hears her jaw hit the floor with shock. She is unable to even squeak out her confusion. "You wonder why you're here, why you're a mechanic and a technician instead of training to be a Jedi, don't you?" Moi'ra nods. "Your home planet had a ritual where they inject infants with a midichlorian-killing virus. If an infant's midichlorians survive, the infant lives; if they die, so does the infant. Your midichlorians all died, and your people wanted you dead. The Jedi rescued you and brought you here for safety. But your people still look for you; they're the ones who attacked you that day."

"So my presence invites the death of innocents?" The Headmaster nods solemnly. "Who are you really keeping safe: me or everyone else?"

"It's more complicated than that." A tense silence fall over the two and fills both the office and the hallway outside. They two are agitated by the other's stubbornness, but they have simply run out of words to say.

"If you'll excuse me, Headmaster, I have some droids to repair," Moi'ra finishes coldly; as she leaves the room, she mutters under her breath that that is all she is good for. Luke watches her leave before sitting down in his chair ruefully. He stares down at his prosthetic hand and runs his other thumb over the underside of the wrist.

"Why do you have to be so much like her?" he whispers.

Meanwhile, Moi'ra takes a secret lift down her basement work area. She is on the way down, when the lift stops and the doors open. A teenage human girl with short-ish hair steps inside and presses the button for one of the dormitory floors. She looks vaguely familiar. Moi'ra nods and stands silently as the doors close.

Since the dormitory floor is closer, the lift begins going up to that floor first. The girl looks to Moi'ra a few times, as if she is trying to decide if she wants to say something or keep quiet. Finally, the girl says something.

"You're Moi'ra Tade, right?" Moi'ra nods, expecting for the girl to ask her to repair something. "I'm Penny."

"Nice to meet you, Penny."

"I want to thank you, Moi'ra, for your work. I know you don't get told that enough." Moi'ra is taken aback by Penny's words. No one has ever thanked her for her work before except for the courteous "thanks" when she returns an item to its owner.

"You're welcome, Penny." The lift arrives at the dormitory floor shortly afterwards, so Penny steps off. It is only after she reaches her workspace that Moi'ra realizes why Penny looked familiar. She looks like the girl who was in the bed next to her when she woke up in the medical ward a month ago. She looks like Desara Solo!

That night, Moi'ra finds herself outside in the meditation garden. The security droids that pass her pay her no mind, as they know Moi'ra is causing no trouble. What the droids do not know is that Moi'ra is actually planning trouble. Penny and Desara Solo are clearly not the same person, so who was Desara Solo? Moi'ra has every intention to find out.

Datapad in hand, Moi'ra pulls up as many files and the like on Desara Solo as she can find. Most only give her birthdate and her death date, but a few provide information into her short life. Not much is available on Desara's early life, only that her parents went into hiding after an assassination attempt and that Desara was raised in secret. One article, from the Jedi Archives specifically, entails her short time at the Jedi Temple. But as she reads, Moi'ra wonders why the Headmaster would go to such great lengths to keep this information hidden from her. Then and there, Moi'ra resolves to uncover fully the life and death of Desara Solo, even if it means breaking the very rules she is all but programmed to follow.

The following day, Moi'ra finds Penny and asks a favor of her: to research Desara Solo within the Archives and report back to her with what she finds. Penny seems unnerved by the request, but agrees to do so, getting the feeling that Moi'ra is doing more than simply running tests to ensure everything is working properly.

Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's office, Luke and Master Azam are discussing something behind closed doors. Moi'ra's behavior has caused Luke much distress, and much alarm. Azam suggests confining Moi'ra to either her quarters or the medical ward, but Luke quickly dismisses the suggestion, saying that Moi'ra will have the confirmation she seeks if they lock her up. Exasperatedly, Luke tries to make sense of the situation if they did everything right- why Moi'ra is so obsessed with Desara Solo. Azam then suggests they talk to the Healer who performed the procedure, and Luke agrees. He needs answers before someone gets hurt.

Two days later, Moi'ra and Penny meet up in the same lift where they first met, and Penny shares with Moi'ra the information that she had been able to find on Desara Solo. Penny did not have access to a fair amount of information in the Archives, and Penny explains that she had known Desara when she was alive. Penny then tells Moi'ra that she and Desara had not been incredibly close but that they had gotten along well, perhaps because they both came from somewhat sheltered backgrounds.

"Desara was awkward, anyone could tell you that, but it was a part of her quirk. She was determined, often to a point of obsession, and although she wasn't the strongest Jedi, she was one of the most talented with tech. The girl could fix anything, it seemed, whether it was a droid, a datapad, or a ship." Penny pauses to think. "Des was loyal to a fault." The lift dings, letting Penny know that it is her stop.

"Thanks, Penny."

Across the Temple, Luke and Master Azam had pulled the Head Healer into his office, where they are all now talking. Or rather, where Azam is doing most of the talking while Luke has his head in one hand and while the Head Healer is trying to explain.

"We shouldn't have done it," Luke finally exclaims furiously, somewhat startling the Healer, for he had never before seen the Headmaster have such an outburst. "It was my mistake, my own stupidity."

"What would you like done, Headmaster?" The Healer asks. Luke shakes his head.

"Unless we can somehow convince her to go through the procedure again, there's nothing we can do until she realizes who she is not." Luke bows his head in shame, muttering to himself, "What the Force was I thinking? The Force, it doesn't work like that. It always seems to figure it out."

* * *

That's the end of Chapter 5! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I hope to have the next one up soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, Butterflies! I'm back with Chapter 6!

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Disney and Lucasfilm.

* * *

"Sometimes," Moi'ra thinks aloud, "I feel like I just don't belong. I feel like I'll never fit in, not with the Jedi, not with the droids, not even with myself." Of course there is no one to hear her thoughts as she works quietly. Hardly anyone ever comes down to see her anymore, only if they need something and the broken item lifts are farther away then her workspace. Penny has come down once or twice since she gave Moi'ra all her information on Desara Solo, but their visits are far and few between.

A Healer, recognizable by the shorter length of her robes, suddenly opens the door to the workspace. Moi'ra then asks her if something is broken, but the Healer shakes her head and explains that the Head Healer needs her in the medical ward for a follow up since she was released. Moi're sets down what she was working on, programs a note into the keypad in case anyone were to come down in need of her, and goes with the Healer to the medical ward.

When they arrive, the Head Healer is already there and has set up. He has Moi'ra lie down on the bed and does his best to Force-induce sleep through Moi'ra's dead midichlorians. At first, nothing happens, but then she slowly drifts to sleep. The Healers sigh with relief; her midichlorians may be regenerating after all. Next, the Healers attach monitors and electrodes to Moi'ra so that they can check her vitals. Everything seems normal, although her midichlorian percent is incredibly small, and the midichlorians are very weak. The Head Healer then dismisses the other Healer, and once she has left, he calls in Luke.

"Headmaster," the Head Healer says, "it says everything went perfectly. I think you already knew that, though."

"I had hoped that I was wrong, that something had gone wrong and could explain her behavior. It appears that I was correct in my first thought."

"Headmaster, she will find out."

"I know. I just need a little more time." Luke then leaves the medical ward, and the Head Healer wakes Moi'ra, telling her that everything is just fine. He checks the wounds, and they have healed nicely. The Head Healer then sends Moi'ra on her way back to her workspace.

Having just completed the task she had been working on, Moi'ra realizes that she has a bit of free time, so she makes her way to the Archives in search of a datapad that can help her. She knows exactly where to look, and she finds it. Checking it out of the Archives, she makes her way back downstairs with the datapad. Once back in her workspace, she turns it on. _A Beginner's Guide to the Force_.

Meanwhile, Luke and Master Azam are once again talking in Luke's office.

"Cyril, help me. I can't fix this, and I need more time. She was attacked. Why? I need answers!"

"Headmaster, we don't know who attacked her or why. You already know that. Call her parents-"

"No! That'll just make it worse. We're lucky she even survived that, Cyril. We lost someone else that day too."

"You couldn't have known, Headmaster."

"But I should have. I should have done better." Luke slams his prosthetic hand down on his desk, causing Master Azam to startle a little. "She knows who she is, Cyril. Her brain may not, but her Force signature knows." Luke pauses pensively. "I just need more time." Master Azam leaves Luke alone in the office, recognizing that he needs to be alone. However, as soon as Master Azam leaves, Assistant Headmaster of the Treasury, Danica Devarian, walks in.

"Luke," she says, "you have to accept what happened. Was it sad? Incredibly. But this isn't the answer. She knew what she was getting into when she agreed to go out that day, and she was willing to face it." She pauses and leans on the desk. "Bring her back, and I know of someone who can help her." Before Luke can respond, she leaves. He feels conflicted now. He knows what he should, but he is also worried that what should be done will have disastrous consequences. If only Leia were here, he thinks.

After a few moments in solitude, the secondary entrance to Luke's office opens, and a woman in Jedi robes enters the office.

"How long have you been here?" he asks, without turning around to face the woman; he already knows who she is.

"Long enough. When were you going to tell me?"

"I wasn't planning to. You're not supposed to be here."

"News travels quickly, you know. An attack on a Jedi does not go unnoticed in my part of the galaxy." Luke shakes his head and sighs. "You know I have to leave soon, but let me see her once."

"You'll only endanger her more."

"She's already in danger, Luke." The woman pauses, but Luke says nothing. "Luke, just admit that you're afraid and don't know what to do." Then the woman slips from the room, leaving Luke once again alone. If it were anyone else, would he be doing this?

That night, Moi'ra leaves her quarters and makes her way outside. No one notices her, and she takes the uninterrupted time as gift, gazing up at the night sky as she thinks. Had she always been this unhappy? She no longer knew how long she had felt like this or what it was like to feel any differently. What had changed in her?

A security droid comes and sees Moi'ra. It quickly tells her to return inside and that the Headmaster has asked that she not be outside alone or at night anymore. Moi'ra internally curses the Headmaster for keeping her on such a short leash, but she listens to the security droid and returns to her quarters. There, she picks up the datapad from the Archives and begins reading. She is almost done with the basics chapter. Then she reads something that surprises her. _The Force in a part of every living creature. Midichlorians feel the vibrations of the Force and translate it into action, but the Force is found in the Force signature- unique to each being and cannot be changed._ Moi'ra turns off the datapad and pulls the blankets on top of her. What was it about what she had just read that bothers her so much?


	7. Chapter 7

Hey, Butterflies! I'm back with Chapter 7! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: _Stars Wars_ belongs to Disney.

* * *

Weeks pass, and Moi'ra has neither seen nor heard of anything from the Headmaster, but it does not bother her much. If he needed her, he would find her. Also in the past weeks, Moi'ra has been reading more into the datapad on the Force. She is nowhere near the level of the Jedi- even the Younglings- but to her even just the help with repairing objects is enough. She has never dreamed of the life of a Jedi, with the constant risk of death and the lifelong duty to the job, but she has wished for their ability to do great things with the Force.

The door to Moi'ra's workspace opens, and a woman in Jedi robes steps in. She is carrying several small devices that would otherwise have varying functions.

"Moi'ra?" the woman asks. Moi'ra nods. "Would you repair these for me? You can just return them to the Headmaster when you're done." Moi'ra replies that she would be happy to repair them, so she takes the devices from the woman and sets them down on her desk. "Thank you," the woman says.

"My pleasure, Master." The woman smiles.

"Knight, actually," she says humbly.

"I pray you well with the Force in the coming years, Knight."

"Thank you, Moi'ra." Then the woman leaves, so Moi'ra begins repairing the devices. They are random devices, including a comm, a holograph projector, and what appears to be a map device of some sort, all with the location either disabled or masked. The repairs are simple: replace the screen and a few keys, reconnect a few wires, and replace a few worn out parts. The devices are older than the ones the newer Jedi use, but they have also been in excellent care based on their age and condition regardless of needing repairs. Few Jedi Knights whose belongings Moi'ra has repaired had ever been in this good condition.

Upstairs, Luke and Master Azam are once again meeting to discuss private matters. Luke is just about to say something when Danica bursts through the door and demands to be a part of the conversation since Luke has been hiding much from the Council. Luke sighs as Master Azam gives him a look that asks him if he is really going to tell Danica.

"From what I've learned, the attack that day was no accident."

"No kidding, Luke. What else?"

"It had been planned carefully in advance. Whoever attacked her had every intention of killing her. They must also have been skilled in the Force to have been able to kill off her Midichlorians. Now, this is only speculation, but I think that this may be tied to the Galactic Treaty being re-created given the timing and who she was with."

"Headmaster, what do you intend to do about Moi'ra?"

"I think it best if we remedy our remedy."

"Thank you, Luke, for yet again being cryptic," Danica says as she huffs from the office to go report to the Council what Luke told her.

"Are you certain, Headmaster?"

"Am I ever certain, Cyril?" The door to the office then opens again, and Moi'ra steps in with the Jedi Knight's devices in hand.

"Headmaster, I repaired these for a Jedi Knight who came to see me earlier. She told me to leave these with you." Luke tells her to leave them on his desk, but before she walks out, Master Azam stops her and asks if she has been feeling different lately. Moi'ra explains no, but that she has been feeling a little trapped and out of place. Master Azam gives Luke another look before telling Moi'ra that he will send a Healer to get her when they are available to work with her. As soon as she is gone, Luke dismisses Master Azam and begins the walk to the Archives.

He pushes past the shelves of datapads and the bows from the other Jedi, acknowledging them with only nods. He reaches the holocrons, and he uses the Force to find and retrieve the one he needs. No one questions what he is doing, as it is not uncommon to borrow holocrons of memories if a specific memory is needed. After retrieving the holocron, he leaves the Archives and hurries down to Moi'ra's workspace.

"Headmaster," Moi'ra says as Luke enters the workspace. "What can I do for you, sir?" Luke sighs, pained.

"Can you change the name on the plaque? Our normal person for this job is on vacation."

"Of course, Headmaster. What shall I change the name to?" She sounds so innocent that Luke hates himself for having to say what he does.

"Yours, Moi'ra." Her face falls as she sets the holocron down on her desk.

"Yes, Headmaster," she says, her voice breaking. He hugs her, knowing that nothing in the universe can help what she is feeling. She is mourning her own death before it even comes.

"Moi'ra, thank you for everything you've given the Jedi. I'm sorry I haven't told you enough."

He waits patiently outside Moi'ra's workspace while she changes the name on the plaque, and every so often, he can hear little sobs or sniffles from the workspace. When she finishes, Luke takes the holocron and places it in a pocket in the folds of his robes before taking Moi'ra's arm and walking with her up the stairs to the medical ward. They say nothing as they walk.

Just outside the doors to the medical ward, Moi'ra breaks the silence.

"Headmaster, I'm sorry for all our fights, and I appreciate all that you have done for me." Luke does his best to keep his own emotions together.

"I'm sorry too, Moi'ra." Then they enter the medical ward, and a Healer leads them to a separate room, where the Head Healer and Master Azam are waiting for them. Moi'ra lies down on the bed, looking at the people around her one last time before the Head Healer Force-induces sleep. Luke hands over the holocron without ever taking his eyes off Moi'ra, and the Head Healer attaches the holocron to a machine while the other Healer attaches electrodes to Moi'ra's head.

The machine then empties the holocron, causing the light to go out. It then empties Moi'ra's brain of its memories, replacing them with the ones in the holocron.

"Headmaster, the past few months' worth of memories?"

"Give them to Desara. Let Moi'ra rest after her final sacrifice." The Head Healer nods, and the machine gives the past few months' memories to Desara. When it is complete, the Head Healer places Moi'ra's memories in the holocron, which he returns to Luke. "Expect there to be a ceremony soon," he says sadly. Then the other Healer removes the electrodes and takes the machine away. The Head Healer slowly awakens Desara and then leaves.

"Master, care to explain why the past few months, I have memories of being someone else?" Luke excuses himself from the room so that Master Azam and Desara can talk. In private, Luke studies the holocron intently before shedding a few tears.

"Thank you, Moi'ra, for protecting my niece. You won't be forgotten."


	8. Chapter 8

Hey, Butterflies! I'm back with Chapter 8!

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Disney.

* * *

A brown cloak-clad figure approaches the Temple door, their head lowered so that their hood covers their face. On their hip is a black cylinder, ready to be taken in hand at a moment's notice. The figure climbs the steps to Temple, looking up once only enough to meet the eyes of a security droid while handing it their ID card. The droid hands the ID card back to the figure and lets them continue into the Temple. Inside, the figure pulls back their hood to reveal Ré Mohv, a handmaiden for the now former Queen of Naboo. Her brown hair has been tied back into a low bun, and her clothes appear to be those of a Jedi rather than a handmaiden. Danica sidles up beside Ré and leads her discreetly into the Headmaster's office. There, Luke and Master Azam are waiting for her.

"Master Jedi," Ré says with a bow; she is familiar with the formalities of such a meeting.

"Handmaiden Mohv," Luke replies with a bow as well. Both then straighten themselves. "Handmaiden, we've asked you here because we are in great need of your skills. One of our own is in danger, and without the Force to assist her, she is near helpless."

"It would be an honor, Headmaster Jedi, to be of assistance. Of whom are we speaking?"

"Padawan Desara Solo, Handmaiden." Ré's eyes widen.

"I will do my best, Headmaster Jedi." Ré and Luke then bow to each other before Danica whisks Ré off to Desara's quarters. When they arrive, Danica programs Ré's ID card to open the door before leaving her at the door. Ré swipes her ID card, preparing herself for whatever she will find on the other side of the door.

The door slides open, and Ré steps inside, only to find the small common room empty, so she looks around for Desara; she finds her in the refresher just sitting numbly on the floor. Ré sits down in the floor beside Desara and takes her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. Desara does not react. Ré then asks if Desara is alright, but again she gets no response, so she closes her eyes and focuses on tuning into Desara's Force signature. When she finds it, Ré travels along the vibrations until she finds Desara lost inside.

"Des? You okay?" Ré asks. Desara turns to face Ré, her face stained from tears she would never shed in the waking world. "You want to talk?" Desara shakes her head, as if she is unable to speak. Ré sits with Desara, both of them having fallen out of a sense of time. Finally, Desara speaks, explaining what happened in the past few months.

"I'm not even upset about the stuff with my midichlorians, Ré. What hurts is that someone else, someone innocent, died because she went outside the Temple with me and that instead of letting her rest, I was exchanged for her with hardly anyone batting an eye. She was a good person, Ré, but no one really knew her." Ré puts an hand on Desara's shoulder and suggests that they talk about it more in person. Desara agrees, and a few minutes later the two have emerged from their meditative states. They talk some more about what has been bothering Desara, and although Ré does not have the ability to heal Desara's pain, Desara does begin to feel better as she and Ré talk. By the time they have finished talking, Desara, while still mourning Moi'ra, feels more at peace about Moi'ra's death.

"Ré, I'm just tired of always needing to be babysat." Ré pulls Desara into a comforting hug and smooths her hair.

"I know you are, Des. I know."

Desara and Ré take their dinner in Desara's quarters, so Luke comes to check on them. Their day has been mostly training Desara in being able to defend herself in hand to hand combat. Fortunately, Desara still recalls her time in the sanctuary on Maldofy, where she spent a great deal of time in hand to hand combat training. Ré then excuses herself to speak with Luke privately.

"Headmaster, with your permission, I would like to take Desara to Naboo with me in the future and put her in handmaiden training. She'll be protected, and she'll learn defense of herself and others as well as disguises and staying alert to her surroundings. It's some of the best training of its kind that I know of, Headmaster." Luke sighs.

"How soon do you need an answer?"

"As soon as possible, Headmaster. I'll have to clear her enrollment with the instructors."

"Thank you, Ré." Ré bows slightly. Luke opens his mouth to say something, but he cannot get the words to form in his mouth. He will have to tell her, he knows, but now is not the time.

"Of course, Headmaster Jedi." Then Ré returns to Desara's quarters, where after a couple more practice fights, Ré calls the end of the day's work. Desara prepares for bed while Ré unpacks in the spare room. Normally, a master and padawan share quarters, but Desara's situation of being the padawan of (unofficially) two head masters makes it simpler for her to have her own quarters.

That night, as Desara sleeps, Ré lies awake in her bed. Her time serving the former Queen Skoir are now over, and she is now technically free to do whatever she wants, but Ré cannot help but feel trapped. From the young age of three, she has been either training to be or in the service of the Naboo Queen, and now that she has finished her duty since Skoir has left politics, there is nothing else for Ré to do. And being here, in the Jedi Temple, with the people that her father used to be part of and who killed her parents, only serves to suffocate her with the reality that she will never be more than what she is now.

Ré flips onto her side so that her back is to the door and tries to feel the Force, but she finds that, in a place full of Force sensitives, there is no Force to feel. She turns onto her stomach and hides her head in her arms.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey, Butterflies! I'm back with Chapter 9.

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Disney.

* * *

"Desara, you must stay alert to all your surroundings." Ré stops the simulation just before Desara can take a shot to the back. "It seems impossible, I know, but you have to be aware of everything going on around you. Turn around." Desara turns around and jumps back a little when she sees how close the simulated blaster shot is to her. "Do you ever wonder why the Naboo Queen always has more than one handmaiden with her? It's because she needs as many eyes looking around her as she can possibly have. You are not Queen of Naboo, Desara. You have only your wits and your skills to protect you." Desara does a second simulation, barely escaping what would have been an assassination, and as she hones her skills in the simulation, she is reminded once again of her time on Maldofy, when patterns could be detected and no one's life depended on being able to find the threat in a crowd.

Finally, they finish for the day with the simulator and return to Desara's quarters. Desara showers and changes clothes, and Ré gets a light meal put together; they spent most of the morning and early afternoon in the simulator.

"Des, I was thinking, and I want your input on this," Ré says when Desara emerges from her room. "I was thinking that taking you with me when I return to Naboo and enrolling you in the handmaiden courses might be a smart idea. It will get you away from the Jedi, so few will suspect a thing, and you will learn everything I could teach you and more."

"What are the drawbacks?"

"Well, you'll have to have a new identity, and there is a chance that you may never return to the Temple." Ré sets a plate down for Desara and herself and sits down. Desara looks down at her plate to think.

"If going to Naboo will teach me to protect myself and others, then consider me awaiting our departure." There is a pang of sadness in Desara's voice, but Ré knows that it is because Desara will be leaving behind the only life she has ever known.

Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's office, Luke and Master Azam are talking.

"Cyril, she is your Padawan. What is your opinion?"

"In all honesty, Headmaster, I no longer wish to be her master. I make no claim for her as a padawan of mine. But as the Assistant Headmaster of Behavior and Placement, I recommend sending her away." Luke nods. Maybe it is best that Desara go to Naboo. It is her home planet after all.

"Thank you, Cyril."

"Of course, Headmaster." Then Master Azam bows and exits the office. Luke at last as a minute alone, so he checks his com for any messages. Surprisingly there is one from a number he thought he would never see again. But when he reads it, he has no idea whether he should be afraid or overjoyed. Confused, he turns his com off and begins wandering around the Temple. He then happens upon Ré and Desara in the Archives searching for datapads on self-defense. Quietly, he pulls Ré into a private room and gathers his thoughts.

"Handmaiden Mohv," Luke begins while dropping onto his right knee and bowing his head in the Jedi position for begging, "I apologize for my actions with your parents, and I beg your forgiveness." Ré swallows as she processes what is happening.

"Headmaster, you took my parents and my future away from me at a young age, but as I am here now with your niece, I am beginning to see the Force's will in this. However, Headmaster Jedi, I cannot forgive you because in trying to prevent the rise of the Dark Side, you sacrificed my family and the Force's nature of choice and free will. In trying to keep the light, you took the path of the dark." Ré then bows and leaves, forcing a somewhat aged Luke to stand up on his own. He deserved that, he knows, but he really is rueful about what he did to Ré's parents.

Desara finds the datapads Ré had asked her to find, and the two return to Desara's quarters. As they read the datapads, Ré teaches Desara more about the skills the datapads introduce. After a couple of lessons, Desara asks if they can go back to the simulator later. Ré thinks for a moment and says they can in a while.

"Wait here for a bit, okay, Des? I'll be back shortly." Then Ré leaves the quarters, so Desara continues with the datapad she has been reading. Ré returns about twenty minutes later with a small bag in her hand. "Des, come with me." Desara stands up and follows Ré into the refresher, where Ré pulls a bottle out of a box inside the bag. Desara looks to Ré confusedly. "In case you've forgotten, your hair is still bright pink. We're going to get it back to its natural color." Ré then wets Desara's hair before adding water to whatever is in the bottle. Desara is able to sneak a look at the box; it reads, "Restores to Natural Color." Then, Ré works the solution in the bottle in Desara's hair before covering her hair with a plastic covering, telling Desara not to remove the covering for a bit.

About an hour later, Ré drags Desara back into the refresher, where she removes the covering and rinses the remaining pink out of Desara's hair. Desara then looks in the mirror and sees how different she looks. She finally feels as if she has completed letting Moi'ra rest, yet somehow the teenager looking back at her simply does not feel right.

"It'll grow back, Des." Desara nods, somewhat numbly. "Let's go to the simulator; I have more to teach you."

In the simulator, Ré teaches Desara how to hide from people in plain sight and how to escape if she thinks someone is chasing after her. They run a few trials and discover that Desara is much better at getting herself out of potentially dangerous situations than out of attacks. Then Desara hands Ré her lightsaber and asks for a practice blaster. Ré teaches Desara how to use the blaster, and much like her mother and father and grandmother, Desara finds the blaster is her preferred weapon. After a couple more practice runs, Ré stops Desara and tells her a secret of the Naboo handmaidens: her cloak is blaster shot proof. Desara smirks, and Ré laughs but warns her not to depend on her cloak.

They are just wrapping up when Luke enters the simulation control room where Ré is. He asks to speak with Desara alone, so Ré ends the simulation and leaves the two alone.

"Desara, I have some bad news."

"What is it, Headmaster?"

"Master Azam has abdicated his position as your master. I'm afraid that it may be best to send you to Naboo with Ré."

"Let it be done, Headmaster." Luke then leaves to tell Ré the news. Ré returns a few minutes later, and goes with Desara to start packing for their return to Naboo. Once in their quarters, Ré makes a few calls to enroll Desara in the school of handmaidens. They agree to leave that night.

Meanwhile, Luke tries to push from his mind that he may never see Desara again since the Jedi are banned on Naboo. He knows he needs to say goodbye, but he does not want to say goodbye to his niece, the last part of his sister that he has left. His only questions are who wants his sister's family dead so badly, and why have they not given up by now?

* * *

That's the end of Chapter 9! I hope you all enjoyed, and I'm sorry if the story is dragging a bit now, but it will pick up soon, I promise.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey, Butterflies! I'm back with Chapter 10! This is it. I hope you've enjoyed the story, and keep an eye out for the third story.

Disclaimer: _Star Wars_ belongs to Disney.

* * *

Luke hugs Desara by the front doors of the Temple, almost afraid to let her go. Ré waits patiently with her and Desara's bags in her hands. All three know that this is probably the last time Luke will ever see his niece, but he does not want to face that reality.

"I'll come back, H- Uncle Luke."

"Don't promise that, Desara." He pulls out of the hug but keeps his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "I love you, Desara."

"I love you too, Uncle Luke." Desara unclips her lightsaber from her hip and hands it to her uncle; for a moment they both hold the hilt before Desara lets go and it settles into Luke's hand. Then Ré and Desara begin the walk to the edge of the property, and Luke disables part of the ray shield to let them pass. It closes after they walk through, and he feels a hand slide up his shoulder. He turns.

"You came back."

"Yes. Enough time has passed, and I've taken care of the group who tried to hurt her."

"Will you go home?"

"In time, but I need to get a message out to them." Luke nods and says to follow him. The two make their way to Luke's office where he sets up his encrypted message system. The recording light flickers on; it has been ages since he used it last.

"Han, Chewie, Luke is sending Jedi to come pick you two up on your respective planets. Be ready." Then the message is sent, and Luke takes the hands of the other person. She has aged a bit since he last saw her, but he understands why.

"Leia, I'm sorry. I tried to protect her."

"You did your best, Luke. My baby's still alive because of you, and maybe her going to Naboo is for the best. I'll return some day, but first, Desara must learn to stand on her own."

"In the meantime, sister, rest." Luke and Leia walk to Leia's-turned-Desara's old quarters, where they say goodnight for the first time in sixteen years.

Meanwhile, Ré and Desara are riding the transport to Naboo. Desara sleeps in order to prepare herself for the time differences on Naboo, but Ré keeps vigilant watch. Soon Desara wakes, and Ré greets her by giving her a small stack of folded clothes, signaling that Desara needs to change. Desara steps into the refresher and changes out of her blue jumpsuit. She unfolds what Ré gave her to find a long pale blue shift dress and a pair of boots tucked inside the folds and a white cloak. Desara puts the new clothes on and returns to Ré, who smiles encouragingly. Desara sits down next to Ré and stares down at her feet. Ré elbows her gently and hands her an ID card. Desirée Tade, it reads. Desara looks to Ré who wordlessly explains it is her new identity. Desara then tucks the ID card in her pocket and waits for them to arrive in Naboo. Ré takes Desara hand and gives it comforting squeeze; Desara does not let go.


End file.
